Your friends are getting married, so it’s understandably an exciting time. With all the craziness going on, it’s easy to forget about the rehearsal dinner. Rather than panicking over what to wear, use the following guidelines to arrive at the dinner looking fabulous.
The Golden Rule
The “golden rule” of rehearsal dinner dress is finding out where the event is being held. This will give you a very good idea of what to wear. For example, if the dinner is at a high-end banquet hall, it makes sense to wear a cocktail dress and heels or nice shirt and slacks. If the dinner is at the local crab shack, you can easily get away with casualwear. Rehearsal dinners are never as formal as weddings, so even if the Big Day is super-formal, that doesn’t mean the dinner will be.
Middle Ground
The rehearsal dinner isn’t at a banquet hall, nor is it at Jim’s Barbecue House. It is at a restaurant–so how should you dress? Finding the middle ground is recommended, particularly if the restaurant is on the nicer side or within a country club. Go for “presentable yet comfortable,” such as a tea-length dress or dress suit. You may have to follow dress guidelines depending on the venue, such as a shirt and jacket or dress/skirt. Check the guidelines prior to the rehearsal dinner date so you don’t show up under or overdressed.
The Invitation
If you need more help determining what to wear to the rehearsal dinner, look at your wedding invitation. How formal and flowery or not the invite looks is a big hint on how to dress for both the dinner and the nuptials. If the invite is no help for whatever reason, ask a member of the bridal party or even the bride if she is one of your besties.
Keep these tips in mind…and remember to have fun!